Electric water-heater



L E. SITHVIBILLE.

ELECTRIC WATERHEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, ms.

Patented June 28, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ELIE SEIMBILLE, or PARIS, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented J 11c 28, 1921.

Applicationfiled September 24, 1918. Serial No. 255,520.

A further object is to provide an improved,

heating element having a very considerable heating surface but a very small volume, and so constructed thatalthough the electric resistance forming part thereof is easilyaccessible from the, outside, said resistance does not comeinto direct contact with the water.

These and other objects, which will be apparent from the following description, are accomplished by placing in a receptacle of small capacity a flat heating element comprising athin metal wire strip, preferably bent zigzagwise, and clamped between two thin sheets of mica which are united at their lower and side edges to form a flat water- I tight pocket of insulating material. The receptacle is provided at the bottom with a water supply pipe and at the top with a discharge pipe which is of greater cross-sectional area than the supply pipe to prevent the water spouting out. under high pressure. The insulating pocket in which the resistance wire or strip is arranged isopen. at the top, but the upper edges of the pocket extend above the level of the discharge pipe so that the water never touches the resistance wire or strip. When desired, two or more mica covered elements may be connected in series or in parallel, I

lVith the arrangement described a considerable heating surface isobtained and nothing but a very thin sheet of insulating material separates the resistance from the water, so that the heat generated in the resistance element is immediately transmitted to the water without any loss. In order to assist in distributing the heat within the water, the insulating. pocket containing the resistance element maybe clamped between two thinmetal plates which are preferably provided with'vertical corrugations to permit of the water freely circulating between the metal plates and the adjacent sheets of mica.

The flow of water through the supply pipe may be controlled by'means of a cook or faucet connected with a switch for controlling the supply of current tothe resistance. By using a two-pole switch adapted to be closed as soon as the cock is opened the temperature of the water may be varied at will by varying the position of the cock and, consequently, the rate of flow of the water.

This apparatus permits of heating liquids to any desired temperature within a few seconds and is capable of prolonged use without deteriorating.

The apparatus-is shown by way of ex ample, in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus the walls of the receptacle being partly broken away to reveal its contents.

Fig. 2 shows, detached in elevation, the heating element with one sheet of mica and one corrugated metal sheet partlymemoved.

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively sections on thelines A-A and B-B of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawing the apparatus is composed of a receptacle a in which the transformation of the current into heat is effected. This receptacle has a capacity strictly suiiicient to contain the heating element hereinafter referred to. It is pref erably of earthenware, porcelain, steatite or any othermaterial Which is not a conductor and is not attacked by boiling water.

The water is fed by'the pipe I) which opens into the lower part of the receptacle a, and it runs away through the pipe 0 at the upper partof the receiver. The pipe 0 is of a greater sectional area than that of the pipe I) for the purpose previously pointed out.

The receptacle (1. contains the heating element which is constituted by a resistance strip at clamped between two thin sheets of mica e, e which'in turn are clamped between the corrugated metal sheets h h.

The resistance 03 comprises a metal ribbon of any nature obtained for example by roll ing out a wire or cutting up a very thin plate. It is tightly packed between two rectangular sheets of mica a e, likewise very thin, the lateral edges 7 f and the lower edges 9 of which are soldered or stuck together by any'suitable'means, forexample by the aid of a waterproof mastic, of a vitrified material, mechanical packing or the like, thus forming an extremely thinpocket which is both insulating and fluid-tight on three of its sides. v

The sheets It, it, also very thin are made of metal not attacked by water and slightly corrugated or folded in a vertical direction. These metal sheets h h are for the purpose of distributing the heat more rapidly than the mica Which is a bad conductor, while permitting the ascending water to circulate freely and become heated by direct contact with the sheets of mica e, e.

The ends i, 2' of the resistance (Z are prolonged above the upper open edge of the pocket and end at the terminals connected to the source of the current.

The heating element thus constituted is arranged in the receptacle a in such a way that the level of the water never reaches the upper open edge ofthe pocket and can therefore never come into contact with the resistance d. I

It must be understood that there may also be arranged in the receptacle 0 several of these heating elements grouped in parallel or in series according to the nature and the section-of the resistance or the power 01" the apparatus.

The supply of the water to the apparatus is regulated by a cock is by the aid of which the temperature of the water may be graduated at pleasure by opening it to a greater or lesser extent.

The current is sent into the apparatus by a two-pole switch which is preferably integral with the cock k as in the example shown. To this end, the switch comprises two arms Z, Z keyed upon an extension of the spindle m of the cock 76. As soon as the cock is opened to any extent, the switch arms Z, Z are engaged between the elastic contact tongues 72, a or the studs 0, '0 and 0 0 which are respectively connected: to the source of current and to the terminals y y' to which are connected the ends of the resistance d.

In consequence oi this arrangement the operator has only to work the cock 7,: to give a passage simultaneously to the water and the current.

By opening more or less the cock Z: the apparatus is supplied with a current which is always constant but with a variable quantity of water, in such a way that it is possible to submit to the action of the current, during a given period of time, a varying quantity of water, which obviously allows of its temperature being graduated accord ing to requirements.

It will be understood that the form and the arrangement described and shown of the cock and of the switch are only given by way of example and that any suitable modifications may be made in them, also in all the other constituent elements of the apparatus.

During the operation of the apparatus the small'quantity of water admitted into the receptacle (1 is heated by contact with the heating elements, absorbs all the calories produced and escapes through the pipe 0; it is replaced without interruption by the ascending column of water which constantly goes on cooling the resistance and running away when heated to the-desired extent.

The apparatus maybe electrically insulated from the supply pipe, by a pipe of any insulating material such as ebonite, porcelain, caoutchouc, or the like.

Claims:

1. An apparatus for heating water electrically and almost instantaneously, comprising in combination, a casing of small capacity, an inlet tube near the lower part of said casing, a discharge tube near the upper part of the said casing and having a cross-section greater than that of the Water inlet tube, a heating element in the said casing comprising an electric resistance and a thin layer of insulating matter forming an envelop surrounding the said resistance, and metallic sheets engaging the sides of the said envelop and allowing circulation of water in contact therewith.

2. An apparatus for heating water almost instantaneously comprising in combination, a casing of small capacity, an inlet tube for water connected to the lower part of the easing, a discharge tube near the upper part of the said casing and having a cross-section greater than that of the water inlet tube, a heating element in the said casing, comprising a laminated metallic wire or metal rib bon held between two thin plates of mica which form a flat water-tight envelop open at its upper end and extending from a point near the bottom of the casing to a point above the levelot the discharge tube, and metallic sheets engaging the sides of the said envelop and having corrugations for the circulation of the water in contact with the envelop.

3. An electric heating apparatus comprising, a casing of small capacity, a water inlet tube conneeted to the lower part of this casing, a discharge tube near the upper part of the said casing and having a cross-section greater than that of the water inlet tube, a removable heating element placed in the easing and comprising a metallic laminated wire or a metal ribbon folded in zig-zag fashion and held between two thin mica sheets connected at their lower and side edges so as to form a flat water-tight envelop open at the upper end and extending from a point near the bottom of the casing to. a point above the level of the discharge tube, and means for distributing heat comprising thin metallic plates With vertical especially of Water not undergoing any corrugations solidly engaging the envelop chemical modification signed by me this While enabling vertical circulation of Water 24th day of August, 1918.

in contact with the sides of the said en- LOUIS ELIE SEIMBILLE. 5 velo Witnesses:

T e foregoing specification of my ap- GABRIEL Momso'r,

paratusfor the rapid heating of Water, more FRANgoIs WEBER. 

